Every year, millions of consumers in the United States receive copies of the print Yellow Pages delivered to their doorstep, free of charge. In recent years, as the number of publishers has increased and specialty or “hyper-local” directories have been introduced, more and more directories have been delivered. As such, perception of the directories has changed and some critics have started to bemoan the perception that they are unable to stem this tide of directory delivery. There are ways for consumers to “opt out” of some or all of the paper directories that are delivered to their residences and businesses. However, determining which venues are effective and which are not can be a bit tricky.

Registered in November 2008, www.yellowpagesoptout.com was created by the Yellow Pages Association as resource for customers who wish to remove themselves from the delivery rosters for print Yellow Pages directories. Consumers merely need to visit the site and enter the ZIP code of the location they wish to remove directory delivery. The site generates a comprehensive list of publishers who distribute phone books for that area and includes both telephone numbers and links to the appropriate online opt-out sign-up.

The major Yellow Pages publishers such as Yellow Book, Dex Media, SuperMedia, etc. typically have online “distribution removal” pages. For smaller local publishers, the page directs consumers to look for the contact information located inside the directory itself. The addresses of those who elect to opt out of Yellow Pages delivery are flagged on the distribution rosters that are generated by the publishers. This is the only opt-out Web site that is endorsed by the Yellow Pages Association.

Created in February 2008, www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org was created by Yellow Pages Directory, Inc., owner and operator of www.interactivecities.com, a publisher-independent online “Yellow Pages alternative.” The site´s stated purpose is “helping municipalities and local governments around the country establish ordinances to mandate Yellow Pages and White Pages only be delivered to home and offices that ask for them.” Originally mentioned by numerous “green” Web sites as a source of information on how to opt out of print Yellow Pages delivery, the site claimed that consumers could simply register their information, and the site owners would contact the publishers on their behalf. Warning: The link to sign up is currently broken, however, and the site does not appear to have been updated in some time. Lacking any sort of official endorsement, the effectiveness of this particular option cannot be validated.

Yellow Pages publishers want their products to be welcomed in both residences and businesses across the United States. No one in business wants to be perceived as a “nuisance,” and so the Yellow Pages opt out program has been utilized by consumers across the United States. (Recent research by the California Public Utilities Commission indicates that 18,737 consumers have elected to “opt out” of the 2010 deliveries.) With the proliferation of smart phones in the market and the development of Yellow Pages apps for mobile, consumers now have a choice as how they want to receive and utilize the Yellow Pages. Consumers not wishing to receive print directories should visit www.yellowpagesoptout.com today and exercise their right to choose.

To learn more about the value of print or Internet Yellow Pages, visit Marquette Group